Helmets - not a do you or don't you thread but when you...

My MTB lid is 5/6 years old, it's been used a lot dropped a couple of times (off tables/from waist height etc) but never been crashed to say it has visible damage, just the usual scuffs etc you'd expect for something thats been used for off road riding.

So my question is, do you routinely replace your lid, if so how often and why?

Not to hijack, but I've just been having similar thoughts. Trail helmet's had all the usual wee knocks you describe, then I decided to exit my bike by the front door at the weekend and put some nice scrapes down the side with a bit of a dent for good measure. Probably should replace but......

I used to change every three years on the basis of progressive UV degradation. After a bit of thought, I bought a helmet with a material that is uv stable, and I plan on. Keeping it until it takes a decent knock.

I binned a few of my family's one that were all around 5 years old. Partly as an experiment and partly to make sure no one was wearing a helmet that I didn't consider safe (well that was why I was binning them) i put a lump hammer through them.
Two were pretty tough, took a few blows to break them. One the lump hammer went through like compressed sawdust - seemed perfectly solid until it was struck and then just disintegrated without any noticeable resistance to the hammer.
It wasn't the oldest of he three, nor was it the most used.
Don't know exactly what that proves other than not everything ages at the same rate.

Two were pretty tough, took a few blows to break them. One the lump hammer went through like compressed sawdust - seemed perfectly solid until it was struck and then just disintegrated without any noticeable resistance to the hammer.
It wasn't the oldest of he three, nor was it the most used.
Don't know exactly what that proves other than not everything ages at the same rate.

Don't have to prove anything, you don't need an excuse for smashing stuff with a hammer.

My old boss was (and still is) a true English gent. I never heard him swear or get even slightly angry.

Now, working as a civil engineer, he was frequently on site, wearing PPE.

On this particular occasion, he attended a site meeting on an active site on the Tyne.

What I have subsequently found out is that safety helmets have a duration. There are two round 'stamps' on the inside which date the manufacture of the helmet and that they have a 'shelf life' due to degradation of the plastic.

Anyway, back on topic, we were discussing this when my boss walked over and announced that 'He had just had his helmet inspected down the quay' resulted in fits of stifled laughter.

i had a 4 year old TSG pisspot that had taken a few small blows.Replaced it with another and dropped the old one from 30 foot to concrete to test it. Just bounced and seemed fine - Although the inner seperated slightly from the outer shell.Plus UV exposure would affect things negatively too

**The drop occured on private land I should add** with no risk to anyone.

Normal XC helmets wouldn't be so robust though and are more likely to need replacing more often with fewer smaller impacts IMHO.

I bought a new one when the boss at my LBS saw mine (I was looking at gloves and full-face helmets at the time) and said, "mate, you can't wear that, it's knackered!" I guess I hadn't noticed quite how many dings and cracks and scrapes it had acquired, from a few crashes and a lot of low branches...

I replaced my yesterday, got a giro hex for the bargain price of £29! Last years colours apparently. My old one died this week from a relatively light bump on a low branch. Was initially annoyed as impact was gentle, then worked out it was 12 years old!

giro recommend replacement every 3 years to go in line with their crash replacement warranty...
my last one was a giro xen that is now 7 years old but still looks to be in good condition, but with UV degradation and of course the elements and my sweat, i wouldnt like to test its structural strength with crashing it..
its not always about what damage you can see on the surface but more a case of what's going on under it...minor knocks to the shell over time could lead to a major failure waiting to happen, but you'll never know you cant tell what damage is taking place to the foam under the outer shell...
at my last place of work we had a fleet of bikes that were bought in the early 90's along with helmets...fast forward 12 years and they were still there, and i had to justify their replacement so i got a few of the helmets to demonstrate to the boss how unsafe they were. first one was a bit tougher than i expected but the second one just disintegrated when i stuck it in a headlock type hold and gave it a squeeze...
boss then told me to condemn the whole lot and told me to do what it takes to secure funding for replacements...
£16k worth of bikes and equipment later he was a happy man!!

I have a Grio Xen that is 5 years old that I've "replaced" with a TLD A1 after some spectactular upselling by a shop owner in the US. I didn't change the Xen because it was old, I just wanted a spare lid for when people visit me and this guy sold me quite nicely on getting this one.

I replace my helmet when the pads get worn or the helmet gets uncomfortable. If I whacked it hard in a fall, I'd probably change it too, but luckily that hasn't happened yet. I've had falls, but not on the noggin.

So I'm getting back on the horse after a few years. I'm pretty sure my RF-200 that I was using back when I was riding on a regular, will need to be trashed and replaced. However, I purchased another RF-200 around the same time as my primary, when needed for a secondary rider. That one was used a few times, but mostly stayed in a bag on a shelf in a closet all this time. I'm thinking of using that for the time being till I decide to get another helmet. I've had people tell me it'll be fine, others say I should replace it (due to the 5 year rule). It's never been dropped, no dings, no scratches, doesn't smell. Practically brand new. However, the foam liner at the top has started to deteriorate. I wore it for go-karting last week, and the sweat from my head made the liner start crumbling off. Not much, but still crumbled. Should I have any concerns about this helmet? I love this helmet, fits my head like a glove...still. If it's still good to use, I'd prefer to use it for a while longer.

So I'm getting back on the horse after a few years. I'm pretty sure my RF-200 that I was using back when I was riding on a regular, will need to be trashed and replaced. However, I purchased another RF-200 around the same time as my primary, when needed for a secondary rider. That one was used a few times, but mostly stayed in a bag on a shelf in a closet all this time. I'm thinking of using that for the time being till I decide to get another helmet. I've had people tell me it'll be fine, others say I should replace it (due to the 5 year rule). It's never been dropped, no dings, no scratches, doesn't smell. Practically brand new. However, the foam liner at the top has started to deteriorate. I wore it for go-karting last week, and the sweat from my head made the liner start crumbling off. Not much, but still crumbled. Should I have any concerns about this helmet? I love this helmet, fits my head like a glove...still. If it's still good to use, I'd prefer to use it for a while longer.

There's only one way you'll really find out, thing is how much of a chance are you prepared to take on the outcome?